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Originally posted by Delnyn

I am looking for the source of this Khelben quote: "The old goat comes up with one good gimmick and beat it to death with a rock." The reference was the Bigby"s Hand spells. Anyone know the source?

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

I would say that the existence of the spell Khelben's Warding Whip implies that either he or Bigby have done some planeswalking. The spell description doesn't say who went where, and Steven's reasoning for keeping Khelben local makes sense -- but we do know that the Chosen are comfortable popping out of the Realms for brief times, and I personally like the idea that Khelben has had reason to spend time on Oerth (among other places). Maybe just getting away for a quiet week or two, if nothing else.

I seem to recall that the Ravenscloak relocated to Oerth. It would make sense if he went there because gramps had spent some time there and recommended it.

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Originally posted by Delnyn

Thread necromancy:
Did Khelben do much planeswalking in his (relative) youth?

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Originally posted by Swordsage

This material is all from Steven Schend and contains both official (in print) realmslore and his unofficial addenda and musings ...

The Khelben Arunsun Official Timeline (as far as I'm concerned)

Dates: 414 - 464
Identity: “Arun’s Son”
Notes: Goes from birth as first human in a noble elven bloodline; he has no name until his near-death at age 50 in Anauroch.

Timeline Events:

414 Year of Omen Stars
On Higharvestide, Arielimnda, a human ranger, fellow Harper, and wife of Arun Maerdrym, delivers a human son. Since he is human, the boy is not allowed to bear the Maerdrym name. Arun follows an ancient elven custom and does not name the boy, allowing him the freedom to earn a name (and perhaps a place in the clan) later.
426 Year of the Black Dawn
Arun's human son joins students of the Seven Wizards of Myth Drannor as a pupil of Mentor Wintercloak. At age 12, he remains unnamed, though he has a number of nicknames some elves gave him: Biir ("garbage," used by commoner elves) or Zenar ("Less than half," as a nobles' double insult against himself and his half-breed father). His few green elf friends call him Bhin, a word for "young human."
449 Year of the Fledglings
The son of Arun finishes his tutelage under Mentor Wintercloak and leaves Myth Drannor to learn of the world and teach it the ways and magics of the City of Song. Secretly, he also plans on proving his worth to his father's clan and becoming one of the first Harpers outside of Cormanthyr and the eastern lands. He takes the only name he has been called of which he is proud: Arun's Son. He vows to claim his place among the Maerdrym once he has earned a true name.
464 Year of the True Names
While wandering across Anauroch, Arun's Son saves a trio of Evereskan elves from a phaerimm ambush nearly at the cost of his life. Retrieved from death by Mystra, he becomes her Chosen, "as he whom magic, duty, and honor defines." As the Nameless Chosen, he becomes the first human ever to stay among Evereska's glades.


Dates: 464 - 712
Identity: The Nameless Chosen
Notes: Adopts this as his title/”name” as he does not know that Mystra gave him his truename as “he whom duty & honor defines”

Timeline Events:

Campaign #4:
The Woodsheart Wars
A.K.A. "Cormanthyr's Carnage"
Location: All over the forest; focal points around Myth Drannor and within the mythal's interior
Time: Ches - Marpenoth 712 (219 days)
Campaign Victor: Cormanthyr's Elves/Allies
The longest of the campaigns, this operation also has the most objective information to report, despite the wide fronts and constant activity. The bulk of the campaign occurred as skirmishes between small groups of scouts and perimeter patrollers. With the Army of Darkness becoming dug-in within the mythal, it took outside allies and much of the year to uproot them and drive them from the mythal. The brief incursion of the Dalesmen early in this campaign is the only outside support Cormanthyr received during the war, and this lasted only until the Army was removed from the mythal. Whether the Dalesmen allies left of their own accord or were dismissed by elves believing their aid to be unecessary is unknown. After Higharvestide 712 Dalereckoning, the Dalesmen only guarded the fringes of the forest and their own home Dales, with two exceptions: the Dalesmen forces (and those few AWOL War Wizards of Cormyr) sent to the Battle of Snowsblood Trail and Standing Stone's Blood were crucial in gaining a victory after the fall of the limited elven defenders.
Once the Army of Darkness' choke-hold on Myth Drannor is broken early on, much of the campaign concerns forcing the Army of Darkness out of the mythal and east, since south would expose Semberholme. A secondary action during this campaign involved the drive eastward to reestablish the older elven seat at the ruins of Old Elven Court. Arms-Captain Hachaam Selorn led the Fourth Legion and the Eagle Wing cavalry of the Akh`Velahr and the Dragonwing and Wyvernwing of the Akh`Faer as the primary army in charge of reclaiming the area from the drow corruption.

Dawn at Erolith's Knoll
A.K.A.: The Fight atop Erolith's Mound, Rise of the Dales
Dates: Ches 4 - 5
Victor: Cormanthyr's Elves/Allies
This battle centered on and around Erolith's Mound, the burial place of a noted sylvan elf scout and warrior. The battle at Erolith's Knoll saw the counter-invasion of the Elven Woods by a ragtag army of volunteers led by Mindal the warrior, and they stood to help the elves against their monstrous foes. The battle, coordinated by Lady Alais Dree, saw the First Legion of the Army of Darkness pincered between elves on the north and northeast, and Dalesmen on the west. While initially suprised, the Army's superior numbers still allowed them to hold the ground, and the allies faltered in their attacks. The Army decimated the elven troops, ignoring the Dalesmen as nearly ineffectual gnats until the timely arrival of the former armathor Elminster Aumar and the Nameless Mage (both Chosen of Mystra) turned the battle back to the allies' favor. By battle's end, despite losses of more than half the Dalesmen and 20% of the elven cavalry, the Allies of Cormanthyr destroy the 1st Regiment of the Battalion Grievous and the 3rd Regiments of both the Agonists and the Painful. As was their intention, they put the army on the move east and south, skirting them around the city and hopefully out of the mythal.

Battle of the Three Chosen
Dates: Ches 16 - 17
Victor: Cormanthyr's Elves/Allies
Major Deaths: The Icepikes & Ardorstaves Battalions

This battle, as a combined number of skirmishes among the Silverglades south of Myth Drannor, merely kept the First and Second Legions from entrenching themselves and kept moving them along to the east (though some were driven north to either reconnoiter with the Imperious at Oloriil or wander the northern woods. It is notable only as the first known meeting of three of Mystra's Chosen (Elminster Aumar, the Nameless Mage, and the Lady Symrustar Auglamyr) and their destruction of four regiments among the two legions!

Silversgate
A.K.A.: The Second Siege of Myth Drannor, the Nameless Sacrifice, the Chosen's Choice
Dates: Tarsakh 11 - 13
Victor: Cormanthyr's Elves/Allies (tactical); Army of Darkness (emotional). Cormanthyr's victory is in driving the Army of Darkness out of the city, while they claim the victory of forcing the elves to close many gates and the loss of powerful allies and leaders.
Major Deaths: The Nameless Chosen, Wollys Silvershield (high priest of Selûne); Colonel Cvor "the Whipmaster"
The battle at Silversgate is one of the most storied and heroic tales of the entire Weeping War, as one who was denied his name by Myth Drannor apparently gave his life in its cause. In short, the Army of Darkness was driven east, and its northern and southern factions merged and punched through the elven defenders on the western front as they passed, allowing them a second charge on Myth Drannor. The bulk of this battle occurs among the streets of the old city Cormanthor, and its climax centers on the Silversgate, the magical gate to Silverymoon Pass and a link to the sister cities of Ascalhorn and Silverymoon.
While the military fought bravely on all fronts, this battle was primarily one of magic and thus spearheaded by Spell-Major Josidiah Starym, Elminster, Symrustar Auglamyr, and the Nameless Chosen. With many elven forces exhausted from the previous battles, only the cavalry and two-thirds of the available Akh`Faer forces were in the city for its defense until the arrival after battle's start of the Wing cavalry, some gold, silver, and electrum dragon allies, and the Three Chosen.
The spellcasters and military worked together to isolate and destroy the reduced and tired battalions (the Cruelty, the Colossus, the Grievous, Battalion Arcane) of the Army of Darkness. In all, the Army of Darkness suffered the loss of a battalion's worth of troops, losing 11 marches and 4 complete regiments in the melee. Among them, four entire tribes of gnolls were totally destroyed as was the most powerful march in the Army, Cvor's all mezzoloth March of the 2nd Cruelty Regiment.
Cvor's March, or "the Whipmaster's March" as more commonly known among the troops, laid siege to the Silversgate in upper Cormanthor at highsun on the second day of battle, following his orders to guard the gate against any allied incursions while the Fourth Cruelty Regiment sought magical items and plunder in the surrounding buildings and ruins. The Nameless Chosen became enraged by the destruction of his native city and the abrupt slaying of a trio of young bronze dragons that had emerged through the gate to lend aid requested a tenday ago. As their overall plans were capable of moving the Army out of the city, the other mages were sadly resigned to the losses, since the Army's battalions had learned to tighten their ranks and attack and raid as an army rather than random hordes; still bereft of Gaulguth's commanding presence, the troops and attacks were tightly organized to prevent any major losses unless their formations were broken. The Nameless One lost his temper over the "insufferable waiting for them to trip hidden spelltraps with no guarantees for success—We are supposed to be the pride and glory of Faerûn, but we cower like rabbits waiting for a fox to stop stalking its warren!"
With a roar of anger and vengeance, the Nameless exploded through the roof of one of the Six Tyryl Towers, his body glowing and his hair and robes ablaze in silver flames! Similarly to the dragon Peridot's rash charge, he dove headlong into the amassed and "impenetrable" forces of the besieging Army, scattering many gnolls and ogres and orcs like chaff before a great wind. Driving a wedge through the forces, he converged on the Silversgate, where Colonel Cvor and his mezzoloths stood. Spreading his arms wide, the Nameless One scrawled one line in the shattered marble of the street before him with a beam of silver fire, and no mezzoloth crossed that line that day. On his arms, he formed massive wings of silver fire, raising them high and knocking many creatures down from high towers or parapets. As he walked slowly and steadily forward, the blazing line advanced with him, forcing all back before him. Fully aflame now, the Nameless began reaching out with his silver wings and sweeping the nycaloths into the gate, which opened at his merest word. Spelltraps lying in wait activated at his will, causing explosions that claimed more savage lives as he walked unharmed within them. Over 600 mezzoloths and goblins and other creatures fell before the fury of the Nameless, and Myth Drannor's defenders rallied once more. With a large wedge driven into the Army's forces, the Akh`Faer and the cavalry had their openings they could exploit and drive the Army before them again.

Fate of the Nameless One
The Nameless Chosen stood before the Silversgate, driving the Whipmaster Cvor before him, and he laughed at the mezzoloth's challenge. As Nameless turned to bid his comrades-at-arms good will and luck in battle, the razor-studded whip of Cvor wrapped about his throat, and the two fell into the gate, struggling. Flying to his aid, Elminster the Crafty entered the Silversgate and shut the gate behind him to isolate Cvor's March. The Nameless Chosen's full intent in his mad attack was to open up the Army's lines and isolate sectors of it to destroy more easily than the collective. Alone but undaunted, the fire-engorged form of the Nameless One towered over the battle. Back to back with the elder Chosen Elminster, he fought hundreds of mezzoloth within the rocky Silverymoon Pass, and the glow of his silvery form drew attention from Silverymoon. Still, while his successes led to victory for the Allies of Cormanthyr, the hubris of the Nameless One led to his undoing.
Trusting that his flaming form would be proof against any attacks, he was caught unawares by Colonel Cvor when it used a captured elven artifact (the Harness of the Giant-Slayer Alayris) to grow to a giant's size and seize the flaming mage by hand and foot. More swiftly than the reactions of either Chosen, Cvor pulled the Nameless Chosen nearly in half by sheer strength and brutality! The explosion of magical power and fire utterly consumed Cvor and over 200 nearby mezzoloths, but not the one who wielded it. As the fireball subsided, the Nameless One lay dying, the silver fire desperately draining away out of his laid-open torso. While Elminster later reported that Mystra herself preserved his life as he lay wounded, at least three sources (two half-elven histories and one elven song) suggest that another power such as Sehanine saved him in return for his aiding her People. Still, the High Mage of Silverymoon Ecamane Truesilver and his supporting wizard forces protected the body of the fallen Chosen from the remaining mezzoloths. Together, while the Nameless One was sent magically to Silverymoon for healing, Elminster and the elderly and frail Ecamane destroyed the gate to Myth Drannor, detonating it from within and at its exit. The explosions slew the remnants of the Fourth Regiment surrounding it at Myth Drannor as well as clearing Silverymoon Pass of its remaining brethren.
As a result of this battle, Myth Drannor's forces won the day, but unknowingly paid a high price. Elminster was lost within the planes for a time, due to his task of destroying the gate from within, while Ecamane Truesilver died due to the strain of breaking the gate from its exit point at Silverymoon Pass. The Nameless Chosen lay like one dead for more than the next year, though Mystra speaks to those who tend him, calling him "he whom magic, duty, and honor defines." His elven nurse, who hears this in her own tongue, gives him the name Akhelbhen; upon his awakening, the Nameless Chosen, once called Arun's Son is introduced him to the new High Mage Aglanthol as Khelben Arunsun. His body healed but forever scarred across his chest and back where he was nearly torn in twain, he voluntarily banishes his vanity and keeps a wedge of silver-white hair in his beard to remind him of the silver flames dancing within it and how it does not make him invincible. It also signifies his debts, as it reminds him of Silverymoon and what he owes its people as well.

Dates:712 - 714
Identity: The Nameless Sleeper
Notes: Lies in coma in Silverymoon after nearly dying at the Battle of Silversgate in the Weeping War of Myth Drannor.

Dates: 714 - c748
Identity: Akhelben Arunson
Notes: Name immediately shortened to Khelben due to hard-of-hearing elf nurse at his bedside who hears what Mystra has named him.

Timeline Events:

720 Year of the Dawn Rose
The Gathering of the Gods at the Dancing Place signals the refounding of the Harpers at the request of some elves from Elven Court. In attendance are all 15 of the Harpers at Twilight who survived the previous decade, including Lady Alais Dree, Elminster Aumar, Khelben Arunsun (once the Nameless Chosen), and Meil "Darkhunter" Araeln.


Dates: c748 - c808
Identity: Hauliyr “the Old Witch”
Notes: Helped raise some of the 7 sisters at this lifetime; primarily responsible for raising the girl Syluné after the Harper Thamator the Old could not raise her as a ranger, so Khelben as Hauliyr taught her magic from 775 until “death” in 808.

Dates: c808 – c816
Identity: Malek Aldhanek
Notes: Works anonymously in court of Laeral the Witch-Queen of the North as a Tethyrian wizard—smitten by her but unrequited as yet; cut short by assassination he has to go along with and abandon this identity, Laeral grieves for ID’s death, realizing love “too late.” Laeral butts heads with Syluné c.841 and abandons her realm near future Luskan (806-841) to become Chosen at age 76 (though she looks 20ish), as does Syluné.

Dates: c816 - c844
Identity: ?
Notes: Lost years ...

Dates: c844 - c956
Identity: ”Halver Gehrin”
Notes: Too known in Silverymoon to elves, thus he is known as Khelben (privately) & as Halver (publicly). Helps fence in Hellgate Keep in 886; never came to Waterdeep in this “lifetime”; trains Ahghairon in Silverymoon during this time & “dies” 4 years after A becomes Waterdeep’s premeir mage.
Also during this lifetime, Khelben secretly studies the Prophecies of Alaundo and takes on his darker, now-familiar mien. He begins planning for the long-off future and the potential dangers of the phaerimm (pieces of plan include moving to Waterdeep, collecting many magical items, reforming the Harpers, forming the Teukiira, etc.)
Ahghairon of Waterdeep’s lifespan = 920-1256; 927 - 941 is his time of tutoring in Silverymoon. Two of his many tutors are Renwick (Thornhold) and Halver aka Khelben. Khelben later helps Ahghairon create the Helms & Cloaks of Waterdeep

Dates: c956 - c1113
Identity: ?
Notes: Lost Years 2 ...: Has at least two lifetimes w/aliases but does not openly travel as Khelben; helps create offices of Heralds (996) and helps Elminster refound the Harpers again in 1022. Spent 3 decades in the 900s in Serôs, eradicating spelljammer wrecks & recovering from broken heart.

Dates: c.1113 - 1256
Identity: Khelben Arunson - “Khelben the Elder.”
Notes: Arrives in Waterdeep & builds Arunsun Tower in 1150; Zelphar Arunsun’s lifespan = c1249 – 1311.

Dates: 1256 - c1270
Identity: ?
Notes: Lost Years 3 ...: between aliases and setting up Ducat’s background, working for Harpers?

Dates: c.1270 - 1311
Identity: Ducat Eattel
Notes: Khelben finally in Waterdeep (or perhaps returned since Lost Years) in the guise as Ducat Eattel (a secret Lord recruited by Shilarn and Baeron in 1273), who is appointed one of the first Magisters (judges) of Waterdeep

Timeline Event:

1302 Khelben the Younger born to Zelphar and Lhestyn

Dates: 1311 - 1321
Identity: Khelben the Elder
Notes: Returns to his tower, fakes death as Ducat Eattel, & trains his namesake in secret after death of his son.

Dates: 1321 - 1370
Identity: Khelben "Blackstaff" Arunsun
Notes: The elder Khelben replaces the younger, taking himself his own grandson’s identity and adds honorific of the Blackstaff.


Khelben’s Marriages/Loves

Dates: 714 - 748
Name: Khelben I
Marital Status: Single
Children: 1 daughter (½elf)

Dates: c.748 - c.808
Name: “Hauliyr”
Marital Status: Married
Childrne: 2 daughters (½ elves) (Saheen Silverbrow)

Dates: 844 - 956
Name: “Halver Gehrin” [Khelben II (privately only)]
Marital Status: Married (½e)
Children: 2 daughters (one ½elf, one human)

Dates: 1100 - 1256
Name: Khelben III “the Elder”
Marital Status: Married (human) Children: 1 son, 1 daughter (twin h)
Married (human) Children: 2 daughters; 1 son(Zelphar)

Dates: 1302 - now
Name: Khelben IV “the Blackstaff”
Marital Status: Single
Children: Unknown (no children? Maura?)


Marriage/Love: 750 – 774
Wife/Lover: Mariel Silverbrow
Details: Half-elf wife; as human son of half-elf, his kids can be half-elves. Raised his half-elf daughters (751, 755) until 770, and they leave. training Syluné from 775 – 808 w/death; Saheen returns to finish Syluné’s training.

Marriage/Love: 808-816
Wife/Lover: (Laeral)
Details: Realizes his truelove in Laeral, though circumstances don’t allow the match to happen; Khelben’s identity dies, leaving Laeral to grieve.

Marriage/Love: 830s?
Wife/Lover: (Laeral)
Details: Second missed opportunity; this time, it is Khelben who holds Laeral off

Marriage/Love: 866ish
Wife/Lover: (Laeral)
Details: Third missed opportunity, since Khelben is married in his alias as Halver. Don’t see each other after sealing of Hellgate Keep for more than 200 years.

Marriage/Love: 862 – 879
Wife/Lover: (half-elf)
Details: Wife dies in childbirth after years of trying for kids, bearing twin daughters nearly identical save that one is half-elf and the other human.

Marriage/Love: 1080s?
Wife/Lover: (Laeral)
Details: She’s married this time and he’s tied up with Harperstuff….. Go nearly 300 years apart…

Marriage/Love: 1109 – 1146
Wife/Lover: ? (human)
Details: Human wife in area near Yartar? Children grown & gone by 1130 (b. 1112); wife dies & K finally goes to Waterdeep as Khelben (later known as “the Elder”)

Marriage/Love: 1238 – 1251?
Wife/Lover: Cassandra ?
Details: Human wife bears three kids in 1240, 1244, and 1249; 2-yr-old daughter dies in attack by Kerrigan the Traitor Lord in 1246. Disappears in 1251 after death of wife to deal with Harper business; Zelphar raised by cousins in Neverwinter and visited intermittently by Khelben (whose official death is set c.1280). Returns later as Ducat Eattel, his family gone from Waterdeep.

Marriage/Love: 1329 – present
Wife/Lover: Laeral
Details: Khelben entrenched in Waterdeep as the Blackstaff by 1322; pursues Laeral across the North at times, though she is part of the Nine now and is reluctant to finally consummate 500 years of missed opportunities and unrequited passion. Khelben continues, saving her from the Crown of Horns in 1357. By 1360, the pair is finally together & inseparable.

- The Swordsage

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Originally posted by Daviot

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Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
I'd actually prefer Alan Rickman.

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Really? With the nose, I always thought Rickman would make a great Sememmon.

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Originally posted by Daviot

quote:

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Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
I'd actually prefer Alan Rickman.

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Really? With the nose, I always thought Rickman would make a great Sememmon.

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Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
I'd actually prefer Alan Rickman.

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Originally posted by Steven Schend

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Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Brad Pitt as a young Khelben?

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*laughs* That's one option. But you'd need some other, less obvious actors, like a woman (ie. Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan).

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Call me strange, but were I casting, I'd pull out Ryan Reynolds as a young Khelben and while most folks love Khelben to have Sean Connery's face, I'd kill to see Alan Rickman play him myself.....

SES

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Originally posted by Lady Kazandra

That's interesting.

I wonder, would Khelben's "to do" list have also included some kind of "contingency" or "what if" scenarios - - aimed at assisting those who might have to pick up the pieces should something unfortunate happen to him?

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Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Brad Pitt as a young Khelben?

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*laughs* That's one option. But you'd need some other, less obvious actors, like a woman (ie. Cate Blanchett as Bob Dylan).

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Originally posted by Wooly Rupert

Was that list passed on to his successors? Or even the knowledge of the overall threat the Moonstars were formed to counter?

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Originally posted by DDH_101

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Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin

The title of this thread, "Who's that Khelben Blackstaff Arunsun", makes me think that'd be a great title for a biopic on Khelben done in the style of I'm Not There, which was for Bob Dylan--a (very) disparate group of actors portray a enigmatic figure through various times of his life.

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Brad Pitt as a young Khelben?

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Originally posted by Rinonalyrna Fathomlin

The title of this thread, "Who's that Khelben Blackstaff Arunsun", makes me think that'd be a great title for a biopic on Khelben done in the style of I'm Not There, which was for Bob Dylan--a (very) disparate group of actors portray a enigmatic figure through various times of his life.

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